Volleyball Headline

Sunday September 26, 1999Volleyball Beats LSU 3-0

The No. 6 Florida volleyball team capitalized on remarkable performances from two senior All-Americans to sweep of Southeastern Conference foe Louisiana State by scores of 15-7, 15-3 and 15-5 Sunday afternoon at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Jenny Manz (Orange Park, Fla./Middleburg) pounded a match-high 11 kills and inched to within just seven digs of notching 1,000 digs for her career. Manz hit (11-5-21) .286 while adding 12 digs. The match marks the right side hitter's eighth double-double of the season. Setter Jen Sanchez (San Antonio, Texas/Providence) recorded a career-high 1.000 hitting efficiency with six kills. She added four digs and blocks.

LSU scored the first point of game one, but it proved to be the last time the Tigers held the lead. Jenny Manz's kill sparked the Gators to score five unanswered points to take control of the game. A tough LSU defensive effort held Florida at game-point five times before the Gators took the win. UF posted 22 team kills for a .357 hitting percentage.

Florida jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the second game with sophomore Niki Hartley (San Jose, Calif./St. Francis) back to serve. Jerilyn Hattendorf (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) and Heather Wright (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) both posted .250 hitting percentages and combined for five block assists to give Florida a 2-0, halftime lead. But, Manz's .750 (3-0-4) offensive effort was the force that gave the Gators a .533 hitting efficiency. The Gators only had one unforced error on the game.

Coach Mary Wise recognized the difference and notable improvements from the first game. "We had good serving runs (like the one) from Niki Hartley. There were some good things happening , and I thought that had to do with our first contact."

Florida's finely tuned passing was evident in Sanchez's performance. The Gators were able to get the ball to her for 34 assists as well as her six kills.

"Jen is making good decisions at the right time," Wise said, "and that's making us harder to defend."

Kris Bova (Milwaukee, Wis./Divine Savior) also had 12 digs and was a focal point of Florida's passing performance.

"Kris Bova and Niki Hartley make us so much better," Wise said of the sophomores. "I'm not sure we've ever had two (players) like that at the same level."